Game apparatus



No. 609,348. Patented Aug. l6, I898. B. F. HUTCHES, .IR.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1895J 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

{No Model.)

24 J .dtlorlley WITNESSES mmm f -c/C THE Norms PETERS coy, mo'ro-umu. wAsr-uuawn. u. c.

No. 609,348. Patented Aug. l6, I898. B. F. HUTCHES, 1R.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1895.] (M Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES MM MR THE nonms wnzns 00., PHOTO-LITNO" msnmumu, u. c

Mfrs. ,frnrns BENJAMIN F. HUTOHES, JR, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO HENRY MQWEAVER, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

GAM E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,348, dated August 16, 1898.

Application filed April 29, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. HUTOHES, Jr., a citizen of theUnited States, and a resi dent of Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a description.

This invention has particular relation to the game of whist, and is designed especially for playing the same after the duplicate-whist method, which consists in using a separate deck of cards for each hand played and in keeping the hands, even after they are played, in proper condition" for a replay Without shuffling simply by an exchange of hands among the players. j

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which of itself will serve as the card-table on which the game .is l played and by a novel arrangement of-"the cards Within the table retain the several handsin permanent position for play and for replay, while the construction for securing such arrangement will at the same time provide a small and convenient space for keeping the several decks of cards separate and also furnish an inclosure for the cards which will protect them from being scattered and abused.

In addition to the above object it has been the aim to secure greater facility for playing the game of whist by the duplicate method; and the construction of the apparatus in its arrangement of the card-holding pockets rela-j tively to the table and the provisions for indi eating the proper hand to lead as each hand around is played, as well as those for indicating the trump for each hand played, are features of great importancebywhich this desired facility is secured in the 'playingof the game.

Primarily the invention consists in a table or playing-board having apertures therein corresponding to the position of the players and a movable card-holder locatedthereunder having a series of card-retaining pockets which as the holder is moved successively register with the apertures inthe table and permit the extractionof the cards exposed, whereby to furnish each player with a hand.

The invention further consists in atable or playing-board having apertures therein cor- Serial No. 547,509. (No model.)

respondingto the position of the players and a movable card-holder having a series of pockets for holding the several hands of cards adapted to be successively exposed in their proper order at the apertures for the players, the said holder having an index arranged thereon to indicate by exposure at the said apertures the player or hand to lead as well as the trump for each hand.-

Further,flthe invention consists in a cardplaying apparatus comprising a table or playing-board and a movable card-holder having a series of card-holding pockets to successively register with apertures in the table through which the cards are extracted, the said apertures being in the form of a slit and having an intermediate enlargement thereof to admit the fingers of the player.

The invention also consists in certain other novel features in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a top or plan view with a portion of the table shown broken away to disclose the movable card-holder; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan view of the index-disks for indicating a trump; Fig. 5, a plan View of an index-disk for indicating the lead and order of play. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the card-holder as being permanently indexed; Fig. '7, an enlarged detail view of one of the quatrefoil apertures of thetable, and Fig. 8 a detail View showing the means for locking the index-disk to the card-holder.

The table is made, preferably, in the form of a shallowbox, of which the top A forms the playing-board, while the casing formed of the said top A, together with the sides B and bottom O, serves toinclose the card-holder D.

The play-board or topAis provided with the apertures E, located to correspond with the position of the players andmade in the form of a slit of such length and breadth as to allow a number of cards to be passed there.- through with facility. The form of the slit or aperture is further modified at its center by an enlargement thereof, thus making a quatrefoil aperture, the central enlargement F being designed to admit the fingers of the players'in extracting the cards, and for this purpose the edges thereof are shown as beveled, as in Fig. 7.

The card-holder D is of circular form and is revoluble upon the pivot G in the center of the top A and by such pivot is secured to the top within the casing. An outer circular portion is the card-holder proper and consists of a series of pockets H, which as the holder is revolved come into alinement successively with the apertures E, exposing at each aperture at a time only one pocket in such position as to permit the extraction of the cards therein and by the triangular arrangement of said apertures allowing only the proper hands to be taken from the holder.

The construction of the revolving holder D, as shown, (see Fig. 3,) is of preferred form and for lightness is made of sheet metal. In this construction the outer rim portion of the disk D is slitted, leaving a series of radial arms I, slightly separated, which arms are bent to give them a V-shaped depression, which not only serves to admit the fingers of the player well into the holder, which is necessary to allow the use of any size card, but forms a partition between the pockets as well as providing a novel construction thereof. To complete the holder, an annular trough or bottom piece K, preferably formed of sheet metal, is secured to the radial arms at the point of the V-shaped depression by means of a rivet L or in any other suitable manner.

It is obvious, however, that the above-described construction of the holder need not be followed and that such part of the apparatus can be formed of a disk of wood and very simply constructed, and for the purpose of allowing finger-room an annular groove may be formed in the radial partitions, thus cutting them away to facilitate the operation of extracting the cards.

The card-holder is illustrated as having forty-eight pockets, which gives it a capacity for twelve decks of cards, each pack being dealt in four hands and arranged in proper order in their respective quarter-sections of the holder. There being twelve hands, the pockets in each quarter-section of the holder are numbered from 1 to 12, which numbers are visible at the apertures E as the holder revolves and the number of the hand being played indicated thereby. The pockets are also numbered successively from 1 to 4 to indicate at the opening the order of play of the hand, the letter L being used instead of the numeral 1 to indicate the player having the lead. In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the numbers indicating the number of the hand are placed near the outer edge of the holder and visible at the outer end of the aperture, while the numbers indicating the order of play of each hand are indicated upon the holder at the inner end of each pocket and are visible at the inner end of the apertures. This form of indicator, owing to the permanent character thereof, does not provide for the almost endless combination of plays of which the apparatus is susceptible, and therefore the separate indicator M has been provided, as shown in Figs. 2, 8, 4, and 5, the said indicator being in the form of a disk revoluble upon the pivot G and adapted to extend out beyond the inner edge of the openings E to disclose the characters carried thereby. While the indicator may be of one disk and a variety of combinations be secured by adjusting the same to the holder at the several'pockets, yet the combined disks, as shown in Fig. 4, is a preferred form of construction. In this figure and in Fig. 2 the upper disk IWI is shown cut away or notched on its periphery with one-fourth the number of the whole number of pockets, which notches are so located as to expose twelve characters on the under disk N and in such a manner as to expose the proper character at the apertures. In Fig. 4 the disk N is shown provided with diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs for indicating the trump. In Fig. 2 the lead is indicated,'while in Fig. 5 the number of the hands being played is shown.

The notches in the upper index are so cut that no two players would have a lead at the same time, so that while the lower table or holder revolves a lead would be indicated to one player only. In playing when the number of hands for which the table is arranged have been played and it is desired to have a new trump or to change the lead to a new pocket the lower index must be moved to indicate any pocket, or the upper index may be moved, or, which would be most satisfactory, the lower index might be twirled from right to left and the upper index from left to right, thus changing the entire previous order of the hands and trump.

In Fig. 8 is shown a preferred form of stop 0, carried by the upper index-disk M, by which the index may be looked upon the holder at any of the pockets. The form of stop shown is that of a hinged bar which is dropped into engagement with the pockets; but any suitable form of stop may be employed which will lock the index at various parts of the lower table or holder in order to get a change of trump and a different combination of hands by moving the index without the necessity of shuffling the cards.

Any suitable means may be employed to rotate the holder and the indicator-disks.

While the within-described apparatus has been shown as having a capacity for twelve hands, it is not limited to that number, but may be made to contain more or less. However, it is desirable to have provision for twenty hands.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A game apparatus comprising aplaying board or table having apertures therein, and a card-holder of circular form revoluble on the under side of the said table, carrying a series of card-retaining pockets arranged to pass under said apertures and present the hands of cards of each pocket successively thereat, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A duplicate-whist table comprising a stationary top forming a clear field upon which the cards can be played and having four openings constituting passages through which the cards can be passed into and also removed from receptacles below said top, and a set of connected card-receivin g receptacles supported under the table-top and arranged for receiving the cards from the openings therein, said set of card-receiving receptacles being movable as a whole to shift each receptacle from one to another opening in the top, and to cause the several receptacles to be simultaneously brought into register with the several openings.

3. In a game apparatus, a playing board or table having apertures in the form of radial slits, and a revoluble card-receptacle secured to the under side of the table having a circular arrangement of card holders or pockets for the several hands, which, as the same is revolved, causes the card-holders to pass under the said apertures and successively register therewith, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A game apparatus comprising a playing board or table and a movable card-holder carried thereby on the under side thereof adapted to retain in proper order several hands of cards, the said board or table being provided with apertures for the extraction of the cards, which apertures are in slit form radially arranged, and provided with an enlargement to admit the fingers in extracting the cards, as set forth.

5. A game apparatus comprising a playing board or table having apertures therein, a movable card-holder having a series of pockets adapted to register with said apertures, the said card-holder having the divisions between the pockets thereof cut away or depressed, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A game apparatus comprisingaplaying board or table having apertures therein and a movable card-holder having a series of pockets adapted to register with said apertures, the said holder comprising a series of radial arms having a depression in each, and a cir-.

in circular form, and an index carried by the said holder and adapted to show through the said apertures, as set forth.

8. In a game apparatus, the combination with a playing board or table having apertures therein, of a revoluble card-holderhaving a series of circu1arly-arranged pockets, and an indicator-disk carried by said card holder, as set forth.

9. In a game apparatus the combination with a playing board or table having apertures therein, of a revoluble card-holder having a series of circularly-arranged pockets, and an indicator comprising a disk provided with suitable characters and an over disk having peripheral notches at predetermined points whereby to expose the characters of the under disk, as set forth. i

10. In a game apparatus, the combination with a playing board or table having apertures therein, of a revoluble card-holder having a series of circularly-arranged pockets, and an indicator-disk having a stop carried thereby whereby to lock said disk to the holder at different points to permit a change in the combination of hands, as set forth.

I 11. A duplicate-whist table comprising a top, radial card-receptacles mounted to move below said top, said receptacles adapted to register successively with openings adjacent to the four sides of the table.

12. The combination with a series of radial receptacles each adapted to contain a hand, of a cover for these receptacles, said cover having four slots or openingswhereby to simultaneously disclose four hands.

13. The combination with a series of radial card-receptacles, of means for closing these receptacles having four slots or openings therein equidistant from each other, substantially as set forth. 8

14. A duplicate-whist table comprising a top having a series of openings therein, a set of card-receiving receptacles supported under the table-top and movable to allow the several receptacles to be simultaneously brought to register with the openings in the tabletop.

15. A table-top having apertures therein, a movable card-holder consistingof a series of card-retaining pockets, and an index carried by the said holder and adapted to show through said apertures.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. HUTOI-IES, JR.

Witnesses:

B. P. COOPER, S. W. J ONES. 

